


Ad Astra Per Aspera

by OrpheusUnderneath



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Retelling, Temporal Paradox, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:20:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25955116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrpheusUnderneath/pseuds/OrpheusUnderneath
Summary: "Through Hardships to the Stars"Sometimes you have to persist through the trials to get to the triumph… and sometimes love takes the long way around.A Canon-Divergence, Canon-Retelling.AKA: Inuyasha fucked up.A PSA, this will *eventually* have E/MA rated material, but not immediately.Also, find me on tumblr at https://underwater0phelia.tumblr.com/ and on pixiv at https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/46137613
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Comments: 114
Kudos: 100





	1. Chapter 1

“Don’t you fucking do it dad! Mom’s been dead for over 400 years. And she said she never saw you in this era!” 

Moroha’s pissed off voice was just as scary as her mother’s, even over the phone. Inuyasha smiled as the memories washed over him, fading out his only daughter's nagging. Kagome would’ve loved to have seen her grow up into the beautiful spitfire that Moroha was today…

But she had passed away before that ever happened.

That wasn't to say that Kagome hadn't lived a full life. No, his mate had lived to the ripe old age of 89. 

But Moroha was hanyou, and before she'd even hit puberty, her mother was gone.

And in spite of the way his daughter happened to be yelling at him… here he was, standing at the bottom of the Higurashi Shrine steps. 

A moment’s hesitation, he warred with himself and plucked the bottle from the inner pocket of his jacket. He’d searched for hundreds of years for a solution, and now that he’d finally found one… he was struck with indecision.

The pearlescent liquid swirled in the glass, mocking him as he held it carefully in his palm. So many things could’ve happened to prevent this moment of truth. Hell, he could crush the vial between his hands right now and he’d miss his chance.

Fuck, was he really gonna do this? Was he really going to march in there, find his soulmate, and screw with the timeline by giving her the elixir that would tie her lifespan to his?

Yeah. Yeah he was. 

And then he was gonna push her back down the well.

"I've gotta go baby. Daddy loves you." 

Her voice got shrill, making his hidden ears flick back before he clicked the "end" button on his phone. No matter what happened next, he knew it would all turn out. 

After all, Kagome was born to meet him.

The shrine steps seemed more numerous than he remembered, having to walk up one by one in order to keep up his human appearance. Knocking on the front door got him no answer, so around the back it was. The thick pollution in the city clogged his nose, but even with his sense of smell impaired he could pinpoint exactly where she was. 

There, wearing traditional shrine clothes and bent over a small table filled with festival charms, was his wife… well, his future wife. Or was it past?

But it didn't matter, not really. Not when she was standing there… 10 feet away from him. Alive and healthy.

He’d never regret the life he’d lived with her, but viewing her like this again was breathtaking.

The frown of frustration on her face was cute as she accidentally cut the strips of festival paper crooked. So involved with her task, she didn't even notice him walk up until he was standing right in front of her face. She looked up, the sun clearly in her eyes from the way she was squinting and unable to quite make out his face.

"I'm sorry sir, we haven't started the festival yet. We're still setting up. You can come back later to make a wish though!"

"The only thing I’ve ever wished for was to see you again, Kagome."

Damnit. His voice was all rough with emotion and he could feel the sting of tears coming on. He'd told himself he wouldn't cry, and yet…

There she was. The love of his life. Gaping at him like she'd never seen him before. 

And… well technically she hadn't. He was older, his looks similar to humans in their early thirties. He looked completely human thanks to the charmed wedding ring he sported in memory of her. His hair was cropped in a modern style and he wore regular street clothes. Why the hell would she recognize him at all?

And yet.

When he looked down into those gorgeous baby blues, so clear of the cataracts that had plagued her in old age… he could swear she felt him. Just as he felt her. The recognition bubbling just under the surface.

"I-Inuyasha…?" 

Her voice was small, hesitant. As if she was afraid that anything louder than a whisper would pop the illusion and reveal that it was all a dream. He knew the feeling well, had the same dreams, the moment of wakefulness when real life turned into a nightmare because he was alone again.

He never wanted for either of them to feel that way again.

And so when he grinned and held out his arms for a hug, it was unsurprising that she nearly knocked the table over in her frantic rush. If he'd been a human she would've bowled him right over, but instead he held firm. 

Her scent rushed over him in a soothing wave, tendrils of her hair beckoning him to tangle his fingers. She cried into his shirt for what seemed like hours, though it was probably truthfully only a few minutes before she looked back up with watery eyes.

Her smooth hand cupped his cheek, warm and soft, and he turned his face into the contact. God, he'd missed this. Missed her. 

But he was surprised when she bit her lip nervously and then dragged his face down for a kiss. Just as soft and sweet as he remembered, her lips danced across his. This wasn’t right. She was only eighteen, needed to go be with the younger version of himself. He fought the instinct to deepen the kiss.

He failed. 

Inuyasha pulled her closer, seemingly wrapping his form around her. The feel of her small hands clasping the collar of his shirt, the harsh pant of her breath across his mouth, the scent of her budding arousal in the air... it made his head spin. 

After 400 years of mostly just his hand and highly regretted one night stands, it was all he could do to pull away from temptation.

"Kagome, we can't." 

The words were ghosted across her open lips as he pushed his forehead against hers affectionately. Her eyes pleaded with him, begged him for something more… but he couldn’t. She wasn’t meant for him here, was meant to go back and live with him through the ages. 

If everything went right, she’d go back through the well with her newly increased lifespan, and they’d end up here in the modern era, together.

Hopefully.

"The well reopens today. You should pack your bag or two. Pack carefully, make sure it’ll last. Stuff it with as much as you can. And go hug your mother." 

Her eyes widened and she inhaled sharply, scanning his face with her eyes for a moment. Something must have clicked for her that this would be the last time she’d go through the well.

"Okay."

But she didn't let go of his hand as she dragged him into the house, holding on like he was her lifeline until she sat him in her computer chair. He watched in amusement as she debated what kind of extra bag to bring along with her backpack, while trying to subtly keep an eye on him so he wouldn’t leave.

She settled on a large black duffel bag as an additional suitcase, and slowly looked through her closet for a few quality clothes she knew would last.

“Would we have time to go to the store before I’m supposed to come back?” Her voice amid the packing was quiet, but he heard it anyways. 

"Yeah, we've got time if we make it quick. It's only noon. You didn't come back until later in the afternoon." 

And that's how Inuyasha found himself in the middle of a pharmacy convenience store, watching as his soon-to-be mate bought every last bottle of value size medicine available. Thousands and thousands of doses of pain relievers, decongestants, vitamins, and stomach soothers went into her cart like it was an everyday thing to do.

Like a crazy person. 

Of course, she had a good reason. But still. Her excuse to the checkout clerk that they were "donating" the medicine seemed to pacify the odd looks she got, though the person in line behind her seemed more impatient than curious.

And when the total came up and she reluctantly took out her mother's credit card, he stopped her and swiped his own. 

Those cold medicines had kept his friends alive and well for years. The vitamins had seen Kagome and Sango through healthy pregnancies. The pain relievers had soothed _his own_ _childs'_ fevers.

He could afford the damn medicine.

"You know, it's still so odd, seeing you like this. Comfortable here, just blending in so easily. Was it a rough transition?"

The walk to the convenience store had seemed shorter without all the bags, but now that they were carrying their weight in cough syrup it was taking much longer. It wasn't necessarily awkward between them, rather, more like nervous anticipation. 

How much could he say without changing the timeline even further?

"It's not really hard as long as you try to keep up with the changes in technology."

They rounded the corner onto her street and he quirked an eyebrow at her small sigh of relief. He’s tried to insist that he carry all the bags… hell he probably could’ve carried her too and wouldn’t have even noticed the weight. But Kagome was stubborn and wanted to help.

God he loved her. 

With a dopey smile on his face, Inuyasha followed the love of his life up the shrine steps and watched her unload her medicine haul directly into the black duffel bag along with a massive amount of shampoo bars, soap, toothpaste, and a few reusable toiletry items. She’d reserved her yellow backpack for a select amount of clothes, some camping gear and a few small keepsakes like family photos.

“Ready?” Inuyasha smiled as she shifted the stuffed bookbag onto her shoulders and held the duffel and her sleeping bag in her arms.

“As I’ll ever be.” Her own smile was weak and faltered as soon as they descended her childhood staircase one last time. Her mother stood in the kitchen holding back tears, and the two embraced, knowing it was probably the last time. 

Unless…

He stopped the two women in front of the well house, unable to look into Kagome’s trusting eyes.

“Kagome, I need you to drink this before you go back.” In his hand was that small vile of shining liquid, the elixir inside of it both his salvation and his damnation.

“What is it?” 

“It’s what’s gonna make your lifespan match mine. You won’t die unless I do, you’ll be less susceptible to falling ill…” 

He didn’t tell her that she wasn’t already here in the future, nearly immortal by his side. Didn’t mention that this would change the timeline. Refused to talk about her death.

Inuyasha just let her drink the damn potion and cringe as her face screwed up in disgust at the taste. He stood next to his mother in law, smiling sadly as Kagome jumped into the well and the timeslip swallowed her whole.

And then time unraveled.


	2. Chapter 2

"Why the fuck is Inuyasha on the Sacred Tree?"

Kagome Higurashi stood in front of the Goshinboku, staring in stunned silence at the oh so familiar scene. Her miko robes swayed in time with his silver hair as the breeze picked up, and she slowly dropped her bags to the ground dejectedly.

The love of her life was pinned to a tree, like the past 3 years had never happened…

Her body moved of its own volition, a swaying dazed gait that brought her right to the roots of the Sacred Tree. He looked so serene, face completely unlined just like the first time she'd seen him. She slowly climbed the gnarled roots until their faces were nearly even, taking in the long lashes. His cheek was warm in her palm, her fingertips caressing over the high cheekbones and planes of his face.

Was this some weird trick of the well, sending her back too far again somehow? Would he remember her at all? It seemed so surreal... 

"You there, miko! Step away girl! What is your business here?!"

The sound of Kaede's voice surprised Kagome into dropping her hand. A turn of the head brought Kaede's hunched form into view, the familiar scowl across her face showing her displeasure. Kagome wanted to beam at the old woman who'd become like family to her… but Kaede had greeted her like a stranger, calling her miko and girl rather than her name. The old woman didn’t recognize her, which meant that somehow the past had never happened here.

And that meant in addition to Inuyasha still being imprisoned on the tree… Naraku was probably still alive.

But how would she explain all of that to Kaede without being run off as a demon? She had all this knowledge of the future and no easy way to explain how she knew it. What would instill the other miko’s trust without scaring her off...

Quickly thinking up an excuse, Kagome smiled serenely at the older woman. Best to at least act the part of a true miko if she was going to pretend to be one. 

"My name’s Kagome and I’m a miko from a village far from here. I've traveled a great distance to prevent a terrible evil from emerging. A... vision has plagued me of a hanyou named Naraku, born of the bandit Onigumo when a swarm of youkai devoured his soul, who will kill everyone in his path."

At Kagome's bold declaration, the old woman's one good eye widened considerably.

"Be you a seer child? I know not of a youkai named Naraku, but Onigumo, I knew that bandit from my youth. A terrible man filled with dark desires, ‘twould be no wonder why he would sell his soul to a youkai swarm."

Kagome mustered her most determined look down at the older woman, trying to bolster the woman’s opinion of her despite her nerves.

“Yes, Kaede-sama. I know the future of this quest and that is why I'm here. I require Inuyasha's help to kill Naraku before he rises to power. I know you possess beads of subjugation in your pocket, will you allow me to use them to ensure our safety when I free Inuyasha?”

The old woman’s surprise was clear across her face as Kagome talked, but she slowly nodded and Kagome internally cheered in victory. Kaede threw Kagome the necklace and spoke the incantation as the beads were placed over Inuyasha’s head.

She was just about to grasp the arrow to free Inuyasha from the spell, when a shout of Kaede’s name echoed through the forest. A gasping young man came to a halt in front of the miko, babbling about a woman giving birth and asking for assistance. Kaede responded quickly despite her age, only casting one lingering glance back at Kagome as if to warn her of the danger Inuyasha posed, before following the man back to the village.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome looked back at Inuyasha and smiled softly. Grasping the arrow in one hand and cupping his cheek in the other, she whispered a kiss across his forehead as she felt the spell dissolve beneath her fingertips. The thought that he might not remember her, that this might be the last time she kissed him, broke her heart as she pulled away slightly.

The full weight of his body slumped into hers and Kagome felt a masculine groan reverberate into her shoulder. One ear flickered madly against her neck, and she fought the giggles trying to bubble up at the ticklish sensation.

“Inuyasha? Inuyasha are you awake?” 

His nose brushed against the soft skin of her neck as he inhaled rapidly, probably trying to take in all the surrounding scents. The hot exhale of his breath had her holding her own as she melted into the embrace.

“K-Kikyou?”

She could’ve sworn his arms pulled her closer, instinctively leaning into the hug, before his body visibly stiffened. A soft growling against her shoulder was all the warning she had before a hard shove sent her reeling. 

Teetering on the edge of the large roots of the tree, she briefly caught a glance of his confused expression as she fell. Arms flailed as she lost her footing, and braced herself for the impact… that never came. 

Instead, her wrist was caught in his harsh grip, and she was hauled back up. But it was a little too forceful. One moment she was squeezing her eyes closed as she fell, and the next she was crashing into a broad chest. A blush crept up across her cheekbones as she stared into his citrine eyes, their faces only a hairsbreadth away.

“Y-you’re not Kikyou. Wait...why do you smell like me? It’s really all over you, almost like I scent-marked you...”

Inuyasha’s soft murmur seemed almost uncertain, like he was trying to put together a puzzle he only had half the pieces for. His eyes were swirling with some unknown emotion, lips parted and cheeks reddened as she stared up at him with their bodies so close. 

Their hands were still linked, and she wondered if he even noticed. What she wouldn't do to know his thoughts just then…

And then the moment was lost. 

“Crazy bitch, keep yer hands offa me! Ya get yer rocks off molesting unconscious men in the woods or something?”

He backed away and pulled his hand away from hers, blushing furiously and crossing his arms. That's right, this Inuyasha wouldn't remember her. He was all gruff mannerisms and tensed muscles, jumpy as if he couldn't wait to run away.

“N-no! And that’s no way to treat the person who just freed you from the spell…”

A soft “keh” was her only response as Inuyasha looked away in slight embarrassment and irritation. A terse second passed and Kagome found herself floundering for what to say, before noticing the way his body seemed to be coiling up in preparation to jump away.

“W-wait. Don’t go. I need to tell you something.” Taking a deep breath once she had his attention, she continued with, “I pulled out the arrow on purpose, Inuyasha.” 

This was it. This was the part when she needed to explain everything…

But how? What would make the biggest impression? How could she get him to stick around without sounding like a completely crazy woman?

“My name is Kagome. It’s been fifty years since you were pinned to the Sacred Tree. You and Kikyou were tricked by an evil demon named Naraku, who coveted Kikyou and the jewel. I need your help killing him before he hurts more people.”

Well, that definitely made an impression. Kagome knew Inuyasha didn’t like being compared to a dog but… well his hackles were practically raised and he was growling. He was literally vibrating with rage.

“Yeah, and what do you know about it woman? Why should I trust anything you say at all, huh? I’ve already had my fair share of meddling miko.”

“Because I know you from another life, one where this has all happened before.”

Deep breaths, Kagome, deep breaths…

“And because in that other life, I loved you. I still love you.” 

That took the wind right out of his sails. The utter shock and disbelief across his face would’ve been funny in a different situation. He looked like she’d gut punched him. 

And why wouldn’t he, Kagome? As far as he knew right now, Kikyou had just sealed him to the Goshinboku after betraying him, and then he woke up to some stranger embracing him. He’d have to be crazy to believe her.

“I know that’s a lot to take in… and that even though I know you, you don’t know me. But I need your help Inuyasha, before Naraku makes anyone else suffer. Please.” 

Kagome could tell he wanted to tell her no. His whole body language was screaming no, but then he looked at her. Truly looked at her, top to bottom, and assessed her for any deception. An annoyed sigh escaped and he muttered something about his “damn human heart” before nodding.

“Fine. Ain’t like I’ve got much else to do. Might as well kill the bastard that tricked me ‘n Kikyou.”

He looked away from the wide grateful smile she gave him...

And immediately saw the beads of subjugation she had placed on him.

“Hey, what the fuck is this necklace and why can’t I take them off?” 

She slowly watched as he tugged at the beads, trying to pull them over his head. Sighing softly, she balanced carefully as she descended the root structure, carefully placing each footstep until she was on the ground.

“Those are prayer beads, Inuyasha. They’ll allow me to prevent you from injuring anyone if your youkai half comes to the surface.”

A tense minute ticked by as she shouldered her backpack and picked up her duffel bag. She looked back over her shoulder to see if he was following behind her as she started walking, and was unsurprised that he was glaring at her back.

“So yer telling me that these things are fucking subjugation beads? You put me on a goddamn leash?! I’m not a fucking dog you know!” 

She didn’t let his angry shout bother her as she continued walking towards the riverbank. She knew it was around here somewhere and could hear the soft rush of water… they’d been here so many times before…

Aha! Just beyond the treeline, the sight of the familiar river was revealed and she set down her things. She slowly began setting up camp and brought out supplies from her backpack and duffel bag. Thinking about that, she’d really need to leave the extra bag at Kaede’s before they started out on their journey…

“Yes, they’re subjugation beads. Yes I put them on you. But no, they’re not a leash. They’re for protection Inuyasha.” She absently replied and then looked up to stare into his frustrated eyes with a piercing glare. 

“Your father’s sword is hidden within the pupil of your eye and will be able to keep your blood in check. Last time, Sesshomaru pulled the black pearl out of your eye and you were both severely injured in the fight for the sword.” 

She paused, gathering up her empty water canteen and moved to the running water a few feet away. Her next words were carefully chosen, whispered as she stared at her own reflection in the water.

“Until I can find a way to get the Tessaiga from within your eye without involving Sesshomaru, your demonic half is unbound. Anytime your life is in danger, it might take over and endanger innocent bystanders. Do you really want to risk other peoples' lives just because you don’t want a ‘leash’? If this necklace keeps you from killing innocent men, women, and children, isn’t it a worthy sacrifice of some of your freedom?”

That seemed to settle him down some as he thought over the fact that he might hurt people in a fit of bloodlust. He watched her as she went through the motions, laying out her sleeping bag and digging out some granola bars, which he refused when she tried to offer.

It was nearly dark by the time Inuyasha hopped into the branches of the tree directly above her and she climbed into her little nest of warmth. She could feel his eyes trained on her as she lifted a shimmering barrier around their encampment and slowly drifted off. 

Maybe tomorrow would be better.


	3. Chapter 3

Tomorrow was not better. 

In fact, tomorrow actually seemed to be worse. After shifting all her immediate travel necessities into her backpack and leaving her duffle bag in Kaede's care, Kagome had cheerfully set off on their journey towing Inuyasha behind like a grumpy old dog on a leash. 

Or at least they had tried to begin their journey, but the tiny crisscrossed hairs blocking their path made them stop early after Inuyasha had repeatedly nicked himself on the razor sharp strands. 

"Inuyasha, don't move too much, alright? Just follow me and step where I step. These invisible strands are from Yura of the Hair, an oni that hides her soul in a red comb. Nothing we do to her body will actually kill her, unless we find the skull that she hides the comb in.”

A split second of Kagome’s distraction while talking to Inuyasha had her slicing her finger on one of the hairs and hissing in pain. She brought the cut up to her mouth to soothe the sting and felt tears well up in her eyes. 

Not even a moment later she felt the warmth and weight of Inuyasha’s fire rat robe blanketing her shoulders and she looked up at him in surprise. The heated, woodsy smell of his natural scent enveloped her, and she tugged the haori closer as fond memories washed over her. It was the same smell he’d always had, sort of like hotsping minerals, pine trees, and a layer underneath of some unique masculine pheromone.

“Your skin’s too soft and weak. This is cloth spun from the fur of the fire rat. It’ll protect you.”

The way she melted into his embrace and stared up into his eyes as he picked her up had the hanyou looking away in embarrassment. There must’ve been something in the look she gave him that made him blush like that…

“I know. I was just thinking of all of the other time you… well the other version of you… gave me this. It’s nice to remember it.”

He gave her a funny look and muttered something under his breath about “crazy, addled mikos” but she didn’t care. Even though they were about to head into battle, face a demon she already knew how to win against… all she cared about was the way he cradled her in his arms. The heat of his chest against her cheek as she directed him where to jump above the tangles of hair.

The way he dumped her to the side and yelled at her to stay put as soon as they reached Yura’s nest of tangled hair.

If she could roll her eyes any harder right now she would. 

Creeping along in the background as Inuyasha faced off with Yura, she saw the dark miasma of youki in one of the skulls just above her reach. She was able to hear Yura talking animatedly about feeling the presence of the Sacred Jewel somewhere in this area, just before Kagome pushed a purifying arrow right through the skull and into the red comb where Yura’s soul was.

The scantily dressed youkai cracked and crumbled into dust right before her eyes, the massive nest of hair and skulls decaying away and falling loosely to the ground.

"Hey! I told you to stay back over there, crazy woman!"

Inuyasha's pissed off voice was suddenly right in front of her as he leapt over the distance and crossed his arms across his chest. She sighed softly and propped herself up, only to be surprised at the hand stretched out in front of her face. 

“But… maybe you’re not as useless as you look.” 

Kagome couldn’t help but smile at the begrudging respect in his voice, and took his hand to pull herself up. He rolled his eyes at her cheery face, and turned his face away as she pulled the Fire Rat Robe off her shoulders.

But the sight of a ragged gash across his arm bleeding onto his white kosode had her reaching forward to inspect it. 

“You’re hurt! Let me see it.”

He yanked away from her hand on his bicep, face puckered up in indignation that she was being so familiar. The harder he struggled to get away, the more she held on, trying to see how bad the wound was. He’d always been stubborn and hard-headed, but she followed him step for step as he backed away.

Their position and the dark flush across his face only registered in her mind when his back hit the tree that stopped their struggle.

Her hands were on the lapels of his shirt, nearly pulling the white fabric off his shoulder completely. The expanse of tanned skin on display had her eyes dipping down and then up in a slow perusal. Gods, it was so tempting, those hard ridges of muscle beckoning her as they twitched. She tore herself away from temptation and met his eyes.

He looked… confused. 

And when she flushed and dropped her hands away, Kagome swore she saw his nostrils flare before she backed away. What… what was that look in his eyes? He seemed to shift uncomfortably before making up his mind and leaping into the canopy above them.

She needed to remember that even though this was Inuyasha, he wasn’t  _ her _ Inuyasha. 

At least, not yet.

… and she really needed a long soak in a cold river.

Gathering her bathing supplies and finding the river was easy, but acting unaware while she felt Inuyasha’s aura following her? That was difficult. 

He seemed to be staying out of sight, keeping to the treetops and sneaking his way along the same path she’d come. But why? Did he just feel the need to protect her? Was he worried that this area was filled with youkai? 

Did he just want to spy on a woman while she’s bathing?

The thought that he might peep on her sent a shiver up her spine and strangely enough, made a familiar warm ache settle deep in her core. She shifted her towel on her shoulder and picked up her place, needing that soak more than ever.

Keep it together, Kagome. It had already been embarrassing enough that she’d gotten bothered earlier, had practically groped him with her eyes. Hell it’d been right under his… nose.

Wait. Had he smelled… Was that why he’d…? 

The look he’d given her, the way he’d shifted uncomfortably, it suddenly all made sense. Oh my god he’d probably realized she was salivating all over him, basically declaring her arousal and interest right in his face.

And yet he was still following her instead of ignoring her. Could it be that maybe he was curious about her? Maybe even a little interested in her? 

She kept thinking it over as she stopped at the riverbank and set up her towel on a low hanging branch. His aura seemed to have stopped just beyond the treeline, and she subtly angled herself behind the bushes and away from where his line of sight should be. Her flesh broke out into goosebumps as she toed her way into the brisk river and eventually walked into the thigh deep water.

He could probably see her, but at least it was mostly just her exposed back and butt at this point. Maybe a little sideboob too as she poured water over herself with a bucket, but probably nothing beyond that at least. 

She couldn’t tell if she was flattered or disappointed in him that he moved closer as she ran a lathered washcloth over her arms and torso. Somehow, his aura seemed intently attuned to her movements, swirling with curiosity and spiking with arousal depending on what she was doing.

But the most interesting thing that happened was when she reached for her towel and bent over to start drying her hair off, it was like he damn near fell out of the tree he was perched in, and suddenly he was sprinting off in the opposite direction of camp. Maybe he just didn’t want her to know he’d been watching her? 

Maybe next time she should give him more of a show...

A shiver racked her body, and she couldn’t tell if it was anticipation or from the cold air as she stepped out of the water. What she wouldn’t give for a hotspring right about now.

And as she dressed and walked back to camp, Kagome was completely oblivious to the chaos her hanyou companion was making of the forest. 

Tree after tree fell, crushed and slashed into oblivion as he tried to get rid of his frustration. When he finally slowed down, gasping for air in a newly formed clearing, Inuyasha slumped to the ground against a tree stump and held his face in his hands.

Was he so low now, that seeing a woman’s breasts could drive him to this level of distraction? He’d seen breasts before. Not many, and not on purpose, but it’d never affected him like this. But then why was she affecting him like this at all?

Was he so disloyal?

It had been fifty years to everyone else, but to him, it’d only been a few days since Kikyo’s arrow had sealed him. It seemed like just a week ago he’d thought maybe he even...loved her.

And now? Now he felt drawn to this woman who was basically a stranger to him. Another miko, one who said she loved him, but he didn’t even know her.

Instincts he didn’t even understand drove him to protect her, curiosity led him to watch her at every moment… and lust made him damn near fell half a forest at the sight of her bared back. 

I mean, it was a very pretty back, to be fair.  _ She _ was very pretty. Lightly curved hips flared from a slim waist, leading up to shapely shoulders and perky boobs. 

But when she’d leaned over slightly to dry her hair, they’d  _ jiggled _ . 

And he ran away.

Ran from the realization that he  _ wanted _ this woman in ways he’d never wanted anyone else, even Kikyo. Sped away from the fact that he’d been ignoring the erection for the last ten minutes while he’d been telling himself he was only there to protect her.

What kind of a pervert watches a woman bathe when he was supposed to be watching out for threats? 

Gods, she didn’t even know. He’d made sure to stay quiet, not wanting to risk her finding out that he was  _ peeping _ on her like the scum he was. 

I mean, sure, she’d looked at him too. It had taken him a moment to understand what was happening when she paused to look at his chest, but that scent… Fuck, he wanted to drown in it. He’d never had a woman look at his like that… smell like that...

But he wouldn’t touch himself, not to the sight of her breasts or even the scent of her arousal still clinging to his clothes. He told himself he wouldn’t stoop that low, and he meant it. Now if only a certain part of him would simply agree with that and go down…

Maybe he needed a cold bath too.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

“Hey Inuyasha, it’s been more than a week since we started out... I think we need to find someone who knows about your father’s grave. Do you have a way to contact Myoga?”

Kagome’s voice cut through the stillness of the canopy he lounged in, and the hanyou opened one eye slowly to look down. A slow breeze started up, ruffling her bangs and bringing that sweet scent up to him as a distraction. 

“Ne, how do you know about… Keh, whatever. That flea mostly just shows up whenever he wants like the pest he is, but if I pulse my youki out he knows I need him for something. Hold on.”

The concentrated blast he sent out was almost immediately responded back by a tiny pulse in the distance, signaling that Myoga was close enough to receive the signal. But what was most interesting was the way Kagome’s aura seemed to swirl around his as if it was trying to soothe his youki. The fact that it actually worked and had him calming down was a bit confusing.

It was like their auras were familiar with each other, or knew each other somehow.

Feh, what a load of bull. 

“He’ll be here soon. Guess he was already nearby.”

Inuyasha rolled over slightly in the treetop, highly unsettled by whatever was going on between himself and Kagome. He shivered as she watched him with a wistful expression on her face and tried to ignore the little voice in the back of his head telling him to go talk to her… kiss her… touch her.

Luckily he was too far up for her to see his blush as he brooded in silence. 

What the hell was it about her that drew him in so completely? What made his instincts go haywire around her? Sure, she was pretty, and she always smelled so nice, and she listened when he talked, and treated him like anyone other person, and…

Fuck. What was he thinking about before? He rolled his eyes at himself for getting distracted again and sighed. He’d been spacing out more than usual over the last week, and it seemed like his daydreams were only getting more frequent.

A soft slap resounded in the camp below his tree and he flicked an ear back before leaning over to watch Myoga pop up in Kagome’s hand. He must’ve bitten her and she slapped at the bite. Good. Damn flea was always being a pest. 

The soft call of his name from Kagome had him sighing as he leapt down from the branches. Inuyasha sat and managed to drone out most of the conversation until a phrase caught his ear that had him whipping his eyes over to the flea. Kagome was blushing and holding a hand over her mouth as the flea simply beamed between the two of them.

“Wanna repeat that old man? I’m not quite sure I heard you correctly.”

“Why, Master Inuyasha, I was just congratulating you on your upcoming nuptials and mating! From the taste of Kagome’s blood, I’m sure they’re to be soon. And your scents are so intermingled it’s a wonder you aren’t mated already!”

Inuyasha could only sputter indignantly as he felt the flush creep all the way up to the tips of his ears. 

“I think you’ve got the wrong idea, old codger! We’re just traveling together. I’m helping her defeat some evil demon that tricked me ‘n Kikyo, and then we’ll go our separate ways.”

Inuyasha watched as Myoga looked back and forth between the two of them, before gently patting Kagome’s hand sympathetically and moving on. He’d deal with… whatever that was, later. 

“As for the great Master’s grave... yes, he had me hide it within young Inuyasha’s eye with the command to only reveal its location when needed. Only one of the Master’s bloodline may remove the black pearl. If you can feel the swirl of magic within your pupil, you might be able to carefully pluck the pearl from your eye without pain.”

The hanyou scoffed, but complied, and searched within for the trace of magic the old man said he should find. A thin line of something foreign swirled just below the surface, and he gently touched the tip of a claw to his eye. It seemed to phase through without resistance. A slight twinge of pain, a scoop of his claw, and suddenly there was a small black pearl within his fingertips. 

His old man’s grave had really been hiding in his eye the whole time, just behind a thin film of magic? It seemed crazy, but as he blinked and shook his head to refocus his vision, he knew it was true.

“So now what?” 

“Well, now you crack the pearl my Lord!”

Inuyasha looked from the flea to Kagome’s worried face as she nodded once, and brought his claw down sharply on the small orb. A swirling vortex of magic and darkness leapt out, and he dropped the pearl as it burned his hand.

...and rolled right into a familiar black booted foot.

“S-Sesshomaru! What the fuck do you want?!”

His half brother merely raised an eyebrow and brushed his hair aside before stepping into the rippling portal, not deigning to even give a response. Fucking asshole. 

“You two stay here, I’m gonna go teach that bastard a lesson. If he thinks he’s gonna get that sword he’s got another thing coming.” A crack of his knuckles solidified his decision as Inuyasha stepped up to the gateway.

“Remember, only you can wield the great Inu no Taisho’s fang! Go, Master, we will await you on this side as you wish, while you retrieve your father’s legacy!” Myoga seemed poised to leap away before Kagome caught him. She looked furious as she squished the small youkai’s form between her fingers.

“Like hell we are! We’re gonna go help him fight, you coward!” 

And just like that she was grabbing her weapon and disappearing into the abyss. He let out a frustrated groan and rolled his eyes before jumping into the swirling portal himself. That woman was gonna get herself killed.

At least it seemed like she could take care of herself...mostly.

The sensation of falling was disorienting, and he’d just barely righted himself before a skeletal bird swooped underneath him. He nearly fell off the damn thing before Kagome’s hand shot out and grabbed his own. The warm fingers intertwined with his own stilled him for a moment, wanting to keep her hand in his for just a few seconds longer, before he realized he was being foolish.

Blushing as he settled back and took his hand from hers, Inuyasha looked away and tried to focus. Alert eyes and ears trained on the fading form of Sesshomaru entering the skeletal remains of his father. His solemn murmur of “father” seemed to go unnoticed by his companions as they flew into the large mouth full of sun bleached fangs.

“There it is! The Tetsusaiga...” Kagome’s excited whisper was breathy against his shoulder as he motioned for her to get settled onto his back. It might’ve been his imagination, but she seemed to nuzzle into his hair slightly as he gripped her clothed thighs and steadied himself to jump.

“I’ll tell you a secret Inuyasha. He won’t be able to grab the sword or use it.” 

Triangle ears twitched as she got a little closer. Any other time he’d be distracted out of his mind with her body so close to his, her breathing puffs of warmth near his ears as she gripped his form tightly.

“He won’t be able to use it because Tetsusaiga is a sword of protection. It’s wielder needs to want to protect humans, like your father wanted to protect your mother. When you try to pull the sword from it’s resting place, think of the way you want to protect people… how you want to protect  _ me _ .” 

He nearly lost the last word she said in the wind flying past his ears as they jumped down to the cavern floor, but it echoed in his mind nonetheless. 

Protecting Kagome… sure, yeah he wanted to do that. He wasn’t sure exactly  _ why _ he wanted to protect her, but he definitely did.

His mutter of “stay over here, be careful” got her nod as a reply that he only saw out of the corner of his eyes. All senses trained on his half brother, he watched with a silent smirk as the bastard tried to grip their father’s fang and ultimately failed. The sound of sizzling flesh as the bastard pulled his hand away only made him more confident.

“Doesn’t that just sting your pride Sesshomaru?”

Inuyasha had one moment of gloating before he paid for that comment. A set of deadly claws and a shout of “Silence halfbreed!” snapped across his face at the same time, leaving gouges on both his face and his pride. 

Jumping to the side with the next swing, he managed to land next to the untransformed sword and paused for a second. If Kagome was right, all he had to do was think about protecting her while pulling the sword out. He grasped the sword as Sesshomaru stilled and watched with narrowed eyes.

One heartbeat, two, and he felt a pulse coming from the blade as it slid out of the ground. Where there was once a rusted old sword in his hands, there was now a much larger and newer blade weighing him down considerably.

However, the excited gasp and “I knew you could do it!” from Kagome drew his brother’s ire, and he rushed forward to intercept as Kagome frantically raised a barrier around herself. Sesshomaru only got in one hit to the pink shimmering film before Inuyasha swung, making the bastard jump out of the blade’s path and away from them both. 

Kagome held her ground as Sesshomaru grew increasingly angrier at the situation, releasing noxious fumes into the air with each move the two brothers made. Parry, swing, thrust, jump. The moves blended together as he tried to keep up with his much faster opponent and ended up only nicked a few times rather than getting any serious injuries.

A holy arrow whizzed past one triangle ear and sliced a lock of hair off Sesshomaru’s fur boa, fizzling like acid. Red eyes glared over Inuyasha’s shoulder menacingly, but the miko behind them only smirked from under her rose-tinted barrier and grabbed another fletching from her quiver.

With a roar of rage, it seemed the asshole had finally lost his patience and temper enough to transform into his full youkai form. He stomped one huge paw down as he filled the cavernous space with his massive body. 

But that only made him a larger, slightly slower target. 

With a lucky strike and a whoop of triumph, his half brother’s right arm was cleaved away from his body and Sesshomaru fell through the side of their father’s skeleton in a howl of pain. 

He leapt down to the side of the hole and watched Sesshomaru struggle to stand, before flying off towards the portal’s entrance, pouring blood from his large wound. 

He’d won! He’d finally fucking won against his brother! Fuck yeah!

Looking back to Kagome as she danced in place, practically wiggling in excitement... he couldn’t help but beam. He finally had his inheritance and managed to best Sesshomaru in combat with it. Looking down at the sword as he sheathed it and then back at his companion, his mood couldn’t have been higher.

Best. Day. Ever. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been forever, I've had about 10 half written chapter updates for stories sitting in my google docs and I couldn't seem to pick one to just finish. They all wanted to be written simultaneously, sigh.

Kagome shivered at the ominous feeling that the familiar manor gave off. They’d been led here by rumors of a mad Lord, which Kagome thought might’ve been Naraku, but instead she found herself remembering the events from before.

“Tsukumo no Gama…”

A scoff from her left brought her eyes over to Inuyasha as he started moving forward on the path.

“I’ve heard of that weakling. If that Naraku fucker ain’t here we should just move on. That runt aint worth our ti…” The feeling of Kagome’s hand on his arm had her companion stilling, her troubled eyes beseeching him to help.

“But he eats human women! Young girls. Innocent people… we can’t just ignore it Inu…”

A long suffering sigh left the hanyou at her side as he turned back towards the imposing castle, but his eyes seemed to warm as Kagome smiled up at him thankfully. The way his fingers absently brushed hers as they walked had her blushing, the butterflies caused by the seemingly innocent actions was almost enough to make her forget about the frog demon they were about to face off with.

Almost.

The slide of a shoji door broke her silent reverie, the manor inside heavy and oppressive. Inuyasha covered his nose with his sleeve and looked like he was holding his breath as much as possible.

“I smell that bastard everywhere in here. I hate the smell of frog.”

Kagome followed quickly behind as they advanced, drawing her bow as Inuyasha drew Tessaiga. They opened two more doors in the hallway, empty chambers, until the third door revealed the Tsukumo no Gama’s lair.

Thick, gelatinous pods lined the walls, all containing young women in various stages of life and decomposition. It was just as gruesome as Kagome remembered, and she knew that if any of these women stood any chance of survival, they would need to act fast.

A creak from the darkened doorway behind them, and the hairs stood up on the back of Kagome’s neck.

“Huhuhuhu, I see you’ve brought me an offering, son of the Inu no Taisho. My, what a lovely young maiden. I’ll be sure to savor her when she becomes a part of my brood.”

Inuyasha made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl, before telling Kagome to worry about freeing the trapped women while he dispatched the frog. Nodding and taking an arrow in hand as Inuyasha began to fight, she quickly began slicing and purifying the egg casings. She trusted him enough to focus on saving the women.

However, she couldn’t help the way her body violently reacted to the rank smelling liquid that was expelled from the eggs when she popped through one. The viscous liquid splashed onto the floor and her shoes, making her screech as the poor woman slumped into her arms.

The very slippery, very naked woman.

Face on fire, Kagome laid the girl down and rolled her onto her side as she started coughing, watery goo spilling out of her airways until she was able to breathe again. A quick glance at the fight behind her had Kagome wincing as Inuyasha crashed through a wall, but she knew he’d get back up again soon enough.

Turning to the next egg, the young miko was about to pierce the casing when the frog’s tongue wound around her body from behind and yanked hard. She crashed into the demon's form with a screech, his grotesque tongue leaving trails of slime along her torso as he unwound it.

"The sacred jewel! I can sense it somewhere here! Give it to me girl!"

His hands grabbed at her, searching for a prize he was sure was there, but all Kagome felt was rage at being slobbered and fondled.

"All I'm giving you is a ticket to the afterlife buddy!"

Brilliant purification light encased the arrow still held in her hand, and with a swift jab down of her arm, the arrowhead pierced the frog's leg. The next few seconds seemed to pass in slow motion as the purple-pink hue spread up though the demon’s form and filled the room with a bright flash of light.

He released her and fell away in a series of croaks, and Kagome was left stumbling back as the demon exploded in a shower of blood and entrails.

Shocked still, she surveyed the carnage surrounding her and tried not to puke, but her own thoughts of being ill were forgotten as her attention was drawn to a shifting pile of broken rubble. She scrambled over to help Inuyasha out from under the wreckage of the wall he'd crashed into when the frog demon had thrown him away. The wound in his abdomen was freely bleeding, but she knew his hanyou abilities would heal it.

"What'd that bastard mean? Everyone knows the jewel's long gone…"

His voice trailed off as Kagome made sure he was okay before drifting back to the pods to help as many women out of the dissolving mess as she could. With the demon frog dead, the gooey eggs were wasting away, leaving the prisoners inside confused as they gagged out the last of the liquid.

Kagome organized the young women and sent them to search for their clothes in the castle, only meeting Inuyasha's eyes once. The blush plastered across his face could only mean that he was flustered beyond belief at the women's nudity, his eyes nearly always staring up at the ceiling before darting around the room sneakily for a peek.

And when the last of the girls had fled the room in search of their kimonos, Kagome slumped down next to a hanyou as red as his fire rat, and gave him a minute to regain his composure while she took a few deep breaths.

Had he ever seen a naked woman besides her before? Before today, that answer might have been no, from the look on his face.

"C'mon Inu, let's get outta here."

As she helped him up and slung his arm around her shoulders so they could limp out of the manor, Kagome gave him the courtesy of not looking down at his hakama. His suddenly, much tighter, hakama.

Or at least, she tried not to stare much. It was a bit hard not to.

Inuyasha, however, did not quite return the favor after sniffing out a hotspring for his frog-splattered companion. She’d refused to let him carry her, saying the smell alone must’ve been hell on his nose.

No one had ever taken a thought to his preferences or comfort before. It was baffling, to say the least. She was an enigma to him, and he couldn’t help but spend most of his time thinking about her… or watching her.

He fought with himself for a brief moment, willing his eyes to look away as she toed out of her shoes and those strange socks she insisted on wearing.

The ties to her miko hakama seemed to loosen of their own accord, the red fabric fluttering down as she stepped to the rocky banks below. The cut of her white hakui floated around her upper thighs as she waded into the steaming water.

He knew he shouldn’t be watching as she dipped under the surface, knew it was wrong as she soaped up the translucent fabric clinging to her skin...Knew it was wrong to shove his pants down and grip himself tightly as she peeled off the soaked shirt and laid it out to dry.

But he couldn’t help the way his eyes caressed every inch of her taut skin, the way he caught every droplet’s trail down the curve of her waist or the swell of her hip.

And when she turned to face him? It was like his body moved on it’s own. His hand jerked up and down his shaft, over the head and back down, spreading the moisture gathering there along its length.

A soft groan crept up out of his throat as he imagined what it would be like to touch her there… test the weight of her soft flesh and run his hands along those tight nipples.

She bent over, and the swell of her breasts hanging freely had him salivating, nearly ravenous over the sight of jiggling flesh. And as if that wasn’t enough on it’s own, she started washing them, stroking them as she ran the soap suds along her body.

Crouching behind a boulder, he covered his mouth with one hand as he pumped his cock with the other. It didn’t take long for him to get close, the secret longing he’d felt for her for the last two weeks coming back full force and bringing him to his knees.

The steam obscured his vision of anything below her hips, but the sight of her breasts was more than enough. He’d never had a visual when he’d touched himself before… let alone the gorgeous picture Kagome was giving him.

Fucking hell she was so beautiful when she bathed. Like a goddess brought to life by his wildest fantasies.

Only a few more tugs and he came harder than he ever had in his life, shooting out stream after stream of pearly semen into the dirt below. Inuyasha only barely managed to muffle his grunts and groans as he rode out the aftershocks, but he wasn’t aware that his heavy breathing and aura gave him away anyways.

Ears and eyes trained on her every movement, Inuyasha quickly hid the evidence of his degeneracy as he felt the sting of shame build up in his gut. As soon as he wiped his hand on some moss and pulled up his pants, he sped off into the woods.

Perhaps if he hadn’t, he would’ve noticed the way Kagome smirked in his direction and snuck her own hand below the water surface.


End file.
